Imagine if you will, minding your own business, walking along a public street and out of nowhere someone jumps out with a camera and snaps multiple photos of you.
Imagine you're walking on a beach with your dogs and someone takes a photograph of you from thousands of yards away with a telephoto lens.
Imagine walking in downtown Toronto and having a discussion with your friends and someone across the street snaps a photograph of that conversation.
Imagine going out to dinner with friends and being greeted by hundreds of cameras as you exit the restaurant, snapping pictures as you leave and firing off questions.
Now...imagine having those photographs posted all over the internet with captions that didn't necessarily pertain to the photos, but were the photographer's interpretation of what was happening, even without speaking to you.
Next...imagine your fans, discussing and theorizing about those photos and captions without any personal knowledge of you or what your life is truly about off the stage.
Finally...imagine those same fans following your every move (outside of the venue where you give of yourself and your music for their enjoyment) and ask for even more from you time after time after time when you're just trying to enjoy an evening after the show with your friends.
Such is the world of Manilow. I know that a celebrity, by definition, must accept this type of scrutiny. But it must be hard to wake up every morning, knowing that at some point, someone will invade your space and make you wish you weren't so famous. Especially when all you ever wanted to do was make music.
Heavy sigh,
Texas Fan
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8 comments:
I think that,off stage, Barry is a private person.I know he's an introvert by nature, and introverts don't like unwanted attention.So it must be difficult for him when people take photos out of the blue. I'm also an introvert by nature and I don't like that kind of attention.I can't help wondering how Barry copes with it. Do you have any idea how he does cope?
Alison,
Since I don't know Barry personally I can't speculate. I just know it must be one of the things he's learned to do over the years.
You are right, Barry is an introvert and kind of shy offstage, people don't realize that on stage you can be extroverted, it is a kind acting you do, unfortunately people think that this is how you really are. I am a loner and shy by nature too. I hate being the center of attention because it makes me very uncomfortable, so I can just imagine how he feels, although I am sure he has learned how to cope with it in his own way, Kudos to him. Katie
"Now...imagine having those photographs posted all over the internet with captions that didn't necessarily pertain to the photos, but were the photographer's interpretation of what was happening, even without speaking to you."
Worse yet, imagine the idiot readers of the gossip blogs who pay for these pictures, who post the nastiest comments they can think of about you. It doesn't matter that you don't know these people and have never done a thing to harm them; they have nothing to show for living in their parents basement and asking if their customers want fries with that big mac, so to make themselves feel better they have to tear you down.
"Next...imagine your fans, discussing and theorizing about those photos and captions without any personal knowledge of you or what your life is truly about off the stage."
How about the way they drool over those same pictures and talk about you as if you're a piece of meat or a life size doll for them to play with, and don't seem to get that the pictures taken are an invasion of your privacy?
"Finally...imagine those same fans following your every move (outside of the venue where you give of yourself and your music for their enjoyment) and ask for even more from you time after time after time when you're just trying to enjoy an evening after the show with your friends."
I think at some point he'd probably love nothing more than to be able to tell this group of stalk, I mean er fans off Brooklyn style, but he can't. I'd love to tell them off myself and thank them at the same time for all they've done for their fellow fans; the ones who didn't grab his butt and cause Barry to remove the dance from the Vegas shows. The ones who don't stare and try to get his attention in Tempo so that the drapes have gone up and now you can hardly see him at all. The fans who don't follow him around the casino or try to sneak up to the penthouse floor and probably make him feel like an animal in a zoo exhibit. I don't know he's managed to cope with this nonsense for so many years, but when he finally decides he's had enough I won't blame him one bit.
Honestly, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for him sometimes.
I've never had to deal with that sort of scrutiny and attention, and, Lord willing, I never will.
Yes, I'm sure he has figured out ways to deal with it all, but, still, he must have his moments when he wonders if it's all worth it.
I try not to support the media/paparazzi feeding frenzy by buying tabloid or otherwise questionable publications.
I used to post a fan blog, but started to think better of it after some things appeared in the press last year and made me re-evaluate my role in all of that as a fan.
I just don't feel comfortable with being part of that invasion of space anymore. I'm embarrassed I ever was.
Imagine further if you will...
Being in a different town to put on a show, stopping in to a local establishment for breakfast with your cohorts, then having the wait staff record the details of what you ordered and pass them along to the gossip blog of the local newspaper.
Then imagine if you will going shopping and having the OWNER OF THE SHOP "out" you on when you were there and what you purchased.
I'm with Crissy - I wouldn't blame him a bit if he sang a four-letter aria for some of these nuts. As for me - I'm happy with the music and an occasional show and I wish him happiness in his own life. Which I would NOT muscle in on.
Hang in there, "B".
Thanks everyone for your comments. You've all added to the discussion here.
Micks,
I understand the concern. I took a few months off and reevaluated my blog purpose as well. I don't want to be used by any press negatively. And I'm cautious about what pictures I put up here. I don't want to give credibility to the tabloid journalism.
It honestly sickened me yesterday when people were speculating to where he was going and why. And people wonder why drama is started? Somebody will automatically say "Oh he's probably just going for a regular check-up he's fine." What gives somebody that right to even say what's he doing with his normal, every day life? If people could only put themselves in his shoes for a day--they'd maybe then they'd understand, but that's not really realistic.
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